Electric signaling system for railroads.



110441352. v I PATEN'TED 0cT. 2o,-'1903.

J. N, BASKETT.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS, 1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 19.1902. I N0 n I 2 SHEETS-HEET 1.

N0- 741,952 \PATENTED OCT. 20, 1903.. J. N BASKETT. ELECTRIC SIGNALINGSYSTEMFOR, RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1902.

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UNITED STATES latented October 20, 1903 PATENT V ()FFICE.

JAMES N. BASKETT, OF MEXICO, MISSOURI.

.SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,952, dated October20, 1903.

Application filed July 19,1902. Serial No. 116,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. 1, JAMES N. BASKETT, a citizen of the UuitedStates,residing at Mexico, in the county of Audrain and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric SignalingSystems for Railroads,of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference class by means of which electrically-operatedsignals are actuated in or on the cab of a locomotive to furnishinformation to the engineer when the next block of railway-track,

on which his train is traveling is occupied and also as to whether thesucceeding block beyond is occupied. The signals are effected throughthe medium of electrical currents, which are shunted from a main-circuitcondoctor through branch conductors and contacts that provide for theconveyance of the electrical current to the signal apparatus on thelocomotive. I

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a plan and diagrammatical view illustrating my system. Fig.II is a view in elevation, showing a railroad-track with the contactsthereon, parts of the locomotive, the brush-carrying bar and brushes,andthe wires leading to the signal apparatus on the locomotive from saidbrushes. Fig. III is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation,of one of the conductors and one of the brushes adapted to pass oversaid contact. Fig. IV is a view of the signal-box,partly in elevationand partly in section, taken on line IV IV, Fig. V. Fig. V is a view ofthe signal-box apparatus, the box being shown in section,

taken on line V V, FigjIV.

10 (see Fig. I) designates acircuit-conduc from a suitable generator 11,which may be in the form of a dynamo or battery. The length of thiscircuit-conductor may be the entire length of the railroad equipped withmy system or such other considerable length, as from one division toanother; but it must necessarily be of sufiicient length to include anumber of the blocks into which the railroad-track-is divided, ashereinafter set forth.

In carrying out my system the railroadtrack is divided into aconsecutive series of blocks, of which the rails of one side of thetrack are bonded together in long sections 12 (see Fig. I) in suchmanner as to furnish thereover a good and ample conductor for an averageelectric current the entire length of a block, such as A, B, O, and D.The other line of track-rails are bonded together into sections 13 and13, preferably of shorter lengths than the first-named sections 12, sothat two or more of said shorter sections will be in a block. In thedrawings two sections 13 and 13 are shown and are all that are necessaryin practice. All of the block-sections 12, 13, and 13 of bonded railsshould be insulated from each other, the longer sections being insulatedat the ends of the blocks from the corresponding sections 12 of the nextadjacent blocks and the shorter sections being insulated from each otherin the blocks and also from the corresponding sections 13 and 13 at theends of adjacent blocks.

Each of the track block-sections 13 is con nected to thecircuit-conductor 10 by alarge branch conductor 14, and each section 13is similarly connected to the conductor 10 by a large branch conductor14?. The branch conductors may meet said section and be connected to itat any point throughout their length, but are preferably applied to themat or near their extremities which are innermost in the blocks A B, &c.

Beside or near the railroad track-rails are two sets of contact-pieces,hereinafter called contacts and designated in one set by I, II, III, andIV and in the other set by I, II, III, and IV, a set of each of saidcontacts being provided in each block A B, &c. The exact location ofthese contacts with relation to their lateral distance or direction fromthe track-rails is not essential, as is also their shape, size, ormaterial, but their subsequence with reference to each other'an'd theirlocation with reference to the lengths of the sections in the blocks ofrailroad-track is essential. The contacts I and III are located at ornear the middle of the long block-sections 12 and those II and IV arelocated at or near the ends of said long sections. On the opposite sideof the railroad-track from that occupied by the contacts just describedare the contacts I, II, III, and IV, that are located consecutively inthe same manner as the contacts I II, 850., but which extend in seriesin a direction the reverse of the first named. The contacts I, II, III,and IV are connected in a series in each set by conductors 15, ofliberal size, which lead from the contacts IV and are joined to the longrailsections 12 at or near their ends, and the contacts I, II, III, andIV are connected in series in a similar manner by conductors 15 thatlead across the track to the long rail-sections 12. The exact locationof the conductors 15 and 15 between the contacts to which they areconnected is immaterial, and they may extend on the railroad-ties, onpoles, or underneath the ground; but they must of necessity each beconnected to the long railsections, as stated. For clearness ofperception only the conductors are shown alongside of the track-rails.For the sake of economy they may be joined in series in the mannershown.

V and V designate contacts located between the rails of therailroad-track at or near the termination of each block A B, &c. Thesecontacts are joined to the adjacent ends of the short rail-sections 13and 13 at the ends of,

the blocks A B, 850., by conductors 16 and 16 For the purpose ofillustrating the operation of my system I have shown parts oflocomotives occupying dilferent blocks of the railroad-track, (see Figs.I and II,) only sufficient of the locomotives being shown to illustratethe apparatus that applies to or is a part of my system. Of theselocomotives N and N designate the forward Wheels, 0 and 0' their axles,and P and P their pilots. 17 and 17 are cross-bars which may be carriedby the pilots, as shown, or by any other part of a train of cars, whichin turn carry brushes or instruments that are adapted to touch thecontacts I II, &c., in the instance of the 10- comotive traveling in onedirection and to touch the contacts I II, &c., in the instance of thelocomotive traveling in the opposite. direction. The location of thebrushes on the left of such locomotive is also of service in the backingof the locomotive, and this being obvious need not be furtherconsidered.

1, 2, 3, and 4 designate the brushes carried by the cross-bar 17 andadapted to touch the contacts I to IV, inclusive.

5 is a brush carried by the cross-bar and adapted to touch the contactsV and V. On

conductors 1 2, 3, 4t, and 5, which extend to separate correspondinginstruments in the signal-box to control the corresponding signal-barsor semaphores. From each of said instruments extend branch conductorsthat are connected to a common conductor 6, (see Fig. I,) through whichelectrical contact with the locomotive running-gear is secured to passthence via the wheels of the locomotive to the track-rails and therefromto the circuit-conductor, completing the shunt-circuit.

Having now described the various parts of my system, its working will beset forth. Consider the locomotive having the wheels N to be movingtoward the right in block A and to have reached a point that causes thebrushes 1 and 3 to touch the contacts I and III. Now if at this timeanother train be present on block 0, as represented by the parts N, O,

P, and 17, the electric current constantly flowing in thecircuit-conductor 10 has anopportunity to be divided in the well-knownway, owing to a new and better conductor being shunted in to paralleltherewith, and hence the' greater part of the current will pass over thenew route provided. If we regard for the sake of convenience that itflows in the circuit-conductor from the right, it will leave saidconductor and pass over the branch conductor 14 to the rail-section 13in block 0 and pass thence through the axle O of the locomotive to thelong rail-section 12 in the same block. It will then pass to the contactIV, joined to said block, over the conductor 15 to contact I, therefromthrough the brush 1 and conductor 1 to signal-box 18 to actuate orrelease the corresponding signal in said box. After passing through thesignal-box of the locomotive on block A the current travels over theconductor 6 to the axle O of said locomotive and therefrom through alocomotive- Wheel N to the short rail-section 13 of block A, from whichit goes to the circuit-conductor 10 over the branch conductor 14,connecting said short rail-section to said circuit-conductor. As thecurrent passes through the signal-box it causes a signal-barcorresponding to the contact I to drop across the engineers window inthe manner hereinafter set forth, affording him information that thesecond block in front of his train is occu ied, so that he may act withcaution. Now if the branch conductors 14 or 14 of said block, 7thencethroughthelocomotivewheelsandaxle ping ot the correspondingsignal-bar across.

his line of sight. Regarding the wheels N of their locomotive as atreston the block 0 and the wheels N of their locomotive as proceedingonto block B, it may be readily seen that at the contacts I, II, III,and lVof said block 13 the last-named locomotive will receive signalsthat block 0 is occupied, the bar corresponding to the contact IVfinally indicating by its fall that the block which the last-namedlocomotive is about to enter is occupied and that the engineer canreceive no other signal before a collision. Considering the locomotiveon the block 0 tobe in like manner provided with brushes and otherapparatus as illustrated in connection with the locomotive on block A,the engineer on said locomotive it moving toward the left will have beennotified similarly at contact I of the block 0 that block A is occupied,or if the other locomotive has not yet moved onto the block A, but movesthereonto subsequently, the first named has yet the contact II of block0 and contacts III and IV of block B in position to be touched by thebrushes corresponding thereto carried by his locomotive to warn him thatblock A is occupied. It the wheels N of their locomotive occupy theblock B at thetime that the approaching locomotive is passing from theblock 0 to block B, then the engineer of the latter will receive asignal at contact IV of block 0 so advising him. There are no conditionsunder which two engines fitted with the apparatus shown in my system ortraveling over a track equipped with my system can collide withoutgetting at least one signal of the others position, and in many casesthe signals impart information as to the direction in which the secondlocomotive is running. Con tacts I and I and the signals adapted to beoperated by the flow of currentfrom said contacts are provided more forthe convenience of one train following another, as when running insections, or for trains that are running backward. In this latter casethe signal corresponding to contact IV has to be switched out of actionor disregarded, owing to the fact that the cars of the same train onpassing onto the next section before the locomotive reaches the contactIV or IV will cause a shunting and give a false signal.

The return side of the circuit-conductor 1O passes from one block toanother.

, which lead to the signaLbox. of the signal-bars is illustrated asfreed and parted through the contact I.

does not form any part of a single-track system except its utility as areturn-conductor for the circuit to the dynamo or battery from which itis supplied; but in a double-track road it may supply current to-asecond system for the second track.

The contacts V and V are providedin order that an engineer may know whenhe To illustrate, when a locomotive on block A is about to enter block Bthe brush 5 passes onto the 1 contact V, causing a shunt from thecircuit 1' conductor to the short rail-section 13, over the conductor 16to the contact V, thence through the brush 5 and conductor 5 to thesignal- 1 box, from which it returns to the circuit-conductor throughthe running-gear of the locomotive to track-rail section andbranchconductor. N0 invention is herein claimed for any particular formof brush adapted to I touch either of the contacts; but in Fig. III,

I have shown a brush of elliptical form such as may be used. The brushesmay, however, be in the form of rollers or strips.

In Figs. II, IV, and V, I have shown my signal box containing thesignal'apparatus which form a part of my invention as to structure, use,and position upon the locomotive, as well as in combination with thetrack system hereinbefore described. 19 designates a window of thelocomotive-cab in which the signal-box 18 is fitted. Mounted in thesigrespond to the contacts I, II, III, and. IV and the conductors 1, 2,3,-and 4, the latter of In Fig. II one dropped into position to furnisha signal im It will be understood that the conductors l 2, 850.,arerepresented in said figure merely diagrammatically, Each signal-barin the box 18 is provided with a weight 21, that serves to assist thebar in falling when itiis freed from resistance, as hereinafter setforth. .Each bar is also notched at its upper end to provide a tongue22. The mechanism by which the signal-bars or semaphores are controlledis similar as applied to all of the bars, and therefore a description ofone of such mechanisms will be considered as applying to the remainder.23 designates adetent-bar mounted upon a pivot 24. This detent-bar isyieldingly held in lowered position by a light spring25, that isprovided with an arm 26, in which is journaled a roller 27, adapted toengage the tongue at the upper end of the corresponding signal-bar, suchas I. (See Fig. IV.) Adjustably mounted at the rear end of thedetect-bar 23 is a counterbalanceweight 28. 29 isan upright armextending vertically from the pivot 24 of the detent-bar 23 and providedwith an inclined cam 30. 31 is an armature-plate carried bythodetenttive.

bar 23. 32 is a trip-bar swingingly mounted upon a pivot 33 and providedwith an armature-plate 34. In the trip-bar 32 is journaled a roller 35,that is adapted to bear against; the cam 30 of the upright arm 29 of thedetentbar when moved thereto. Upon the rear end of the trip-bar 32 is anadjustable counterbalance 36. 37 is an electromagnet the poles of whichare mounted above the armatureplate 31 on the detent-bar 23 and which isconnected bya wire 38 to a battery illustrated at 39. (See Fig. IV.)Leading from the battery is a wire 40, that is connected to the pivot 24of the detent-bar 23. 41 is a wire leading from the electromagnet 37 tothe pivot 33 of the trip-bar 32. 42 is an electromagnet the poles ofwhich are opposed to the armature-plate 34, carried by the trip-bar 32.This last-named magnet receives the connection of a conductor leadingfrom one of the brushes carried by the cross-bar 17, which has a wire 1and a second wire 6, over which the electric current passes, on leavingthe electromagnet, to the wire 6, that conveys the current to therunning-gear of the locomo- 43 is a third electromagnet that receivesthe connection of the wire 5 leading from the brush 5 on the cross-bar17. Leading from the magnet 43 is a wire 6, that connects with the wire6, previously referred to. 44 is an index-bar that is pivoted at 45 andthe upturned end of which constitutes an armature adapted to beattracted by the pole of the magnet 43. This index-bar is of service inalfording information to the engineer of the apparatus being in workingorder and of the fact that a block of railroad-track, such as A or B, isbeing entered. When a blocli is being entered, the electric currentpasses from one of the contacts V or V through the brush 5 and conductor5 to the electromagnet 43 and energizes said magnet, causing it to flipthe index-bar up and down in a manner to attact the engineers attention.

In the operation of releasing the signalbars or semaphores in thesignal-box to permit them to fall into the engineers view the currentconveyed to the signal-box from the contacts corresponding to the signal-.bars passes over the corresponding conductors from the contact-brushesand enters the corresponding electromagnet 42. On the energization ofthe magnet the trip bar 32 is drawn downwardly, and its roller 35 bybearing against the cam 30 rocks the upright bar 29 rearwardly, therebylifting the detent-bar 23. On the raising of the detent-bar into theposition seen in dotted lines, Fig. IV, the .roller 27 carried therebyis moved out of engagement with the signal-bar, thereby permitting thebar to swing into the signaling position shown by dotted lines. Thebattery 39 being connected to the electromagnet 37 by the wire 38 and tothe detent-bar 23 by the wire 40, the electromagnet being connected tothe tripbar 32 by the wire 41, when the trip-bar is lowered to the cam30, carried by the upright arm 29, the circuit is completed from thebattery over saidparts to energize the electromagnet 37, with the resultthat the detent-bar is lifted thereby due to the attraction of thearmature-plate 31 thereon by the poles of said magnet. This actuation ofthe detent-bar likewise releases the signalbar and permits it to fallinto the signaling position. Insome instances in the event of thecurrent received by the electromagnet 42 from the track system thetrip-bar 32 may be moved with sufficient force to actuate the detent-bar23 by bearing against the cam 30 without the assistance of theelectromagnet37.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an electric signaling system, the com-.the block-rails to a signal apparatus carried by the train.

2. In an electric signaling system, the combination of a track dividedinto blocks insulated from each other; a closed circuit extending alongthe track; connections leading from said closed circuit to rails of saidblocks and over which the electric current is shunted to said rails;contacts having connection with other block-rails to receive a currentpassed from said last-mentioned rails, said contacts being adapted toreceive means carried by a train and through which the electric currentis transmitted to a signal apparatus on the train.

3. In an electric signaling system, the combination of a track dividedinto blocks insulated from each other; a closed circuit extending alongthe track and having connection with rails of said blocks; contactsconnected with other rails of said blocks and located alongside of ablock separated from the one to which they are connected, said contactsbeing adapted to receive means carried by a train passing over saidtracks, through the medium of which an electric current is transmittedfrom said contacts to a signal apparatus carried by said train.

4. In an electric signaling system,the combination of a track dividedinto blocks insulated from each other; a closed circuit eX- tendingalong the track connected to rails in said blocks; contacts connected toother block-rails of a succeeding block, brushes carried by a train,adapted to touch said circuit to said long rail-sections, contacts Vcontacts, and conductors leading from said and V connected separately toshort railbrushes to a signal apparatus carried by the train.

5 5. In an electric railroad signaling system, the combination of atrack divided into blocks insulated from each other, and consisting oflong rail-sections in one line, and short rail-sections in the otherline of each :0 block; a closed circuit extending along the track;connections leading from said closed sections in adjacent blocks; and abrush carried by a train passing over said track is whereby ashunt-circuit is caused through adjacent short railsections ofcontiguous blocks.

JAMES N. BASKETT. In presence of- J. F. LEWELLYN, E. R. LOCKE.

